Introduction:
This
River2Sea, a fairly young company makes a big splash with the Bubble Popper, topwater lure is great at calling fish
up from the deep by creating a great deal of commotion on the surface thanks to
the combination of a large cup and vented mouth.

River2Sea
Bubble Popper (Pop88)
Specifications

Type

Popper

Class

Floating (Top water)

Colors/Patterns

14
available

Size

3
1/2"

Weight

5/8oz

Hook
Size

Daiichi #4

Price

$10.99

About River2Sea: In 1998 River2Sea was
founded in Australia with the goal to produce unique fishing tackle throughout the world. Quality products using premium components, high-grade coats of paint, the use of
lead-less materials, and producing innovative lures is part of their ongoing
initiatives. Today, aside from Australia and New Zealand, they have
expanded to other markets including Asia, Europe, and the USA.

Introducing the premium River2Sea
Bubble Popper that comes with its own tackle storage case

Impressions: We were first
introduced to River2Sea products at the Fred Hall Show in San Francisco where
they had a full display of unique lures for both fresh and saltwater game
species. The elegant River2Sea Bubble Popper comes in a
hard-shell container that serves as a individual tackle box. The head
resembles a lifelike baitfish with fine
lines emphasizing the gill and mouth, along with 3D red eyes. The
body's lower and upper sections are patterned differently, and sports a quality
finish along with holographic reflections. The mouth of the Bubble Popper
is what makes it stand out from other standard poppers. The mouth is huge and
has a less concave shape. The addition of 2 side ports integrated into the mouth
deliver an additional action that attracts fish to strike. The Bubble Popper also features a Tungsten Force rattling sound chamber and
super-sharp Daiichi treble hooks.

The Bubble Popper is extremely
detailed in design with fine lines and attractive patterns

Tungsten Force: River2Sea truly believes
and promotes the use of lead-free materials to protect our environment.
The Tungsten Force lures use Tungsten to fabricate such things
as bb's used in the lure's rattling sound chamber.

Complete Rig
for Bubble Popper
Tests

Rod

Quantum PT Inshore (CBIS70M)

Reel

Quantum Boca PTs (BSP40PTs)

Line

12
lb. Sufix ProMix

Field Tests: From the initial inspection of its design, the River2Sea Bubble
Popper is sure to make a racket for some great topwater action, especially at
this time of the year when the water is warm and the fish are aggressive. We toss the Bubble Popper in various bass lakes and also targeted stripers
hiding among the patches of weed.

An innovative mouth design, the
Pop88 spits high and far. Also notice the ports in the mouth that creates
a fine bubble trail when retrieved

Casting: It's a pleasure to cast the Bubble Popper. At 5/8oz
the River2Sea topwater lure casts nicely. There isn't much stopping it from
shooting through the air to hit that distant target area. The high-density
bb's inside the lure also assist it in weight transfer that help project the lure
and at the same time providing the angler with control and quality placement on every
cast.

Retrieving: This is where the fun begins with the topwater lure. The River2Sea Pop88 breaks the surface of the water with a
long distance spit and
bubbles as you retrieve it. Unlike the traditional poppers where the mouth
is more concave, the upper lip points more towards the sky allowing this large mouth
to scoop the water and spit it at a greater angle. Aside from a standard
popper function, the Bubble Popper also generates bubbles through a ported
design in the mouth. As the water enters the two ports and vents out near
the gills thus creating a bubble trail that adds to the surface commotion. As you retrieve the Bubble Popper, carefully listen to the
sounds it makes. The "bloop" sound this topwater lure makes is different
than other poppers thanks to the ported mouth. This unique sound and break
on the surface of the water truly calls the fish from watery hideouts and during
our field tests many fish came calling.

Water enters through the two ports
in the mouth, then is vented out near the gill area. Also notice the big
bright red eyes

Like other lures, working the Bubble Popper will
determine on the surrounding environment and the fish's activity level that day. We
enjoyed the most success with a simple retrieve and pause, just few tugs and then a good pause in-between, then repeat
the process all the way back to the boat. In most situations the fish will strike at the beginning of the pause period as
the lure begins to slowly sit in the water. When tossing the Bubble Popper
for either Striped Bass or Largemouth Bass, the same technique above applies to
both, but when you see the stripers in a feeding frenzy or if you see blow ups,
a faster retrieve may be employed. And because of the Bubble Popper's
mouth design, this lure has an advantage and can be retrieved fast and still be
effective as a topwater lure. During one outing at O'Neill Forebay hunting
for stripers, the fish began to break the surface near sunset. At this time of
the day I prefer a quick long cast and begin to retrieve immediately. The
splash from the initial drop attracted these aggressive gamefish and as you
continue to pop the lure, they will chase and blast the Bubble Popper from
underneath, pause or not.

The Bubble Popper is definitely an effective lure
thanks to features like the mouth design, bubble ports, and the Tungsten Force
rattle chamber. The only thing we thought was missing on the Pop88 is a
dressed rear treble hook. While the Pop35 and Pop65 sport this feature,
the Pop88 does not. With a feathered rear hook the chances for getting a
strike would be greatly increased especially when you allow the Bubble Popper to
sit motionless at the surface. While it's easy for any angler to swap out,
it would be nice if it was already included.

Field tested on largemouth bass
and stripers and have proven to be a very effective topwater lure

Durability: The overall durability of the Bubble Popper is first-rate. The quality finish didn't chip throughout our course of field tests on
aggressive stripers and largemouth bass. Out
of the box, the Daiichi hooks came sharp and remained that way even after many
fish. We tested the point of the hooks at the end of every fishing trip by
running it down the thumbnail and it showed no signs of being dull. When
you buy the Bubble Popper, it comes in a plastic box, which is individual tackle storage
case for this lure. Keeping the lure in its own compartment will ensure no
damage will be caused and prolong its lifespan.

Price: River2Sea is a company that is out
to produce unique lures that utilize a premium finish along with components such
as Daiichi hooks and Tungsten bb's. A quality product with
high-grade components mean that the lure will be more expensive than the
traditional types. While a MSRP of $10.99 seem expensive to some anglers,
the Bubble Popper in design and components used is actually half the price of
other high end lures that are similar in design.

Ratings:

River2Sea
Bubble Popper
(Pop88) Ratings (?/10)

Construction/Quality

Great craftsmanship, quality finish, and premium components make this an
outstanding product

9

Performance

A
very effective topwater popper that's different from standard types.
If it only had a feathered rear hook it would be even deadlier

9

Price

A
high end lure with a premium price. A great alternative to similar
lures that's double the cost

8

Features

Features very sharp Daiichi hooks, a lead-free sound chamber using Tungsten bb's,
attractive patterns using holographic reflections, and bubble ports all make
this topwater lure action packed. It also comes with its own tackle
storage box that will safeguard it from unwanted damage

9

Design
(Ergonomics)

Extremely nice design with fine details and the innovative mouth with the
ports make the Pop88 stand out

9.5

Application

Even though this lure was only field tested on stripers and bass, the Pop88
is a good size for aggressive species that will attack prey at the surface.
This sure can be used in both fresh and saltwater

9.5

Total Score

9.0

Pluses and Minuses:

Plus
Minus

J
Great topwater action

L
Could use a dressed rear treble hook

J
Effective design

L
Not easy to find

J
Nice finish

J
Sharp hooks

J
Lead-free

Conclusion: Throwing a topwater lure is extremely stirring,
and everyone should give it a try at least once. After you cast you begin
to retrieve, your heart rate increases, as you anticipate
an aggressive fish exploding underneath the lure. This is what topwater is
all about, luring a fish up from the deep hideout, and enticing it to
commit to a surface strike. The Bubble Popper does a great job at attracting predators to
attack assertively from underneath and is effective on multiple species of gamefish. The innovative mouth design spits
well and the
ported mouth allows water to pass through creating a bubble trail as you tug on
the line. The use of Tungsten bb's allow anglers to toss this lure in
locations where lead is banned. Even though the River2Sea Pop88 is a
premium lure with quality components, it comes with a price tag that's half the
cost of other high end products and definitely a sound alternative.